ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · court · pitch · jam · rock · suit · tear · kick

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. court — of law
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — decided
  9. kick — in football
  10. court — for sport
  11. tear — to rip
  12. rock — music
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pitch — completely
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. court — of a king
  19. tear — from crying
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. rock — a stone
  22. tear — from crying
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com